The Seaforth News, 1931-07-02, Page 6PAGE SIX
THE SEAFORTH NEWS.
JOA
of the
Swordand
By S. R. erockett
(Continued from last week.).
"Well, I take what the gods send,"
he replied. "She was a pretty girl,
and her Princess -ship made no dif-
ference in her kissing so far as I could
sere. I serve you to the death, my
Lady Duchess; but if a princess loves
me by the way—why, I am ready to
indulge her to the limit of her desir-
ings!"
"You are indeed an accommodating
youth," sighed the secretary, and
forthwith returned to his own melan-
choly thoughts.
And ever as they rode westward
they beard all around them the rustle
of corn in the night wind. Stacks of
hay shed a sweet scent momentarily
athwart their path and more than
once fruit -laden branches swept ac-
ross their faces. For they were pass-
ing through the garden of the Baltic,
and its fresh beauty was never fresh-
er than on that September night when
these four rode out of Courtland to-
wards the distant .blue hills on which
was perched Kernsberg, built like an
eagle's nest on a crag overfrowning
the wealthier plain.
At the first boundaries of the group
of little hill principalities the two sol-
diers were dismissed, suitably reward-
ed by Johann, to carry the news of
safety hack to their wayward and in,-
pulsive mistress, And thenceforward
the .Sparhawk and the secretary rode
on alone,
At the little chalet among the hills
where the Duchess Joan had so sud-
denly disappeared they found two of
her tire -maidens and an aged nurse
impatiently awaiting their mistress.
To them entered that composite and
puzzling youth the ex -architect and
secretary of the embassy of Plassen-
burg, Johann, Count von Loen. And
wonder of wonders, in an hour after-
wards Joan of the Sword Hand was
riding eagerly towards her capital
city with' her due retinue, as if she had
merely been taking a little summer
breathing Space at a country seat.
Her entrance created as little sur-
prise as her exit. For as to her exits
and entrances alike the Duchess con-
sulted no man, much less pny wo-
man. Werner von Orcein saluted as
impassively as if he had seen his mis-
tress an hour before, and the accla-
mations of the guard rang out as
!cheerfully 'as ever.
Joan felt her spirits rise to be once
mare in her own land and among her
own folk. ,Nevertheless, there was a
new feeling in her heart as she
thought of the day of her marriage,
when the long -planned bond of bro-
therhood -heritage should at last be
carried out, and she should indeed be
•come mistress of that great land into
which she had ventured so strangely,
and the bride of the Prince—her
Prince, the most ncbie man on whom
her eyes had ever rested.
Then her thoughts flew to the
Princess who had delivered her out
of peril so deadly, and her soul grew
sick and sad within her, not at al]
lest her adventure should be known.
She cared not so . much about that
e now. (Perhaps some day she would
evee tell hint herself when—well,
after!).
1But since she had ridden to Court-
land, Joan, all untouched before, had
grown suddenly very tender to the
smarting of another woman's heart,
"It is in no wise my -fault" she void
herself, which in a sense was true,
i.
But conscience, being a thing not
subject to reason, dealt not a whit
more easily with her on that account.
'It was six months afterwards that
the Sparhawk, who had been given
the command of a troop of • good
!Hohenst®in lancers, asked„ permis-
sion to go on a journey.
He had been palpably restless and
uneasy ever since his return, and in
spite of immediate favour and the
prospect of yet further promotion,
he could not settle to his work,
""'hither .would you go?" asked his
ntist•ress. _
"To Courtland," he confessed,
•s.otnewhat reluctantly looking down
at the peaked toe of his tanned leather
riding boot.
"And what takes you to Come -
land?" said Joan; "you are in danger
there, Besides, even if you could,
would you leave my service and en-
gage with some other ?"
"Nay,.my lady," he burst out, "thee
will not I, so long as life' fasts. But—
but the truth is"—he hesitated as he
spoke—"I cantiot get out of my mind
the Princess who kissed me in the
dark. The like never happened before
to any man. I cannot forget her, do
what I will. No, nor rest till I have
looked upon her face,"
""Wait," said Joan. `;Only wait till
the spring and it is my hap to ride
to Courtland for my marriage day.
Then I promise you you shall see
somewhat of her—the Lord send that
it be not more than enough!"
So through many bitter winter clays
the Sparhawk abode at the castle of
Kernsberg, ill content.
CHAPTER XII
ti ,
Joan Forswears the Sword
It was n'oft in accordance with eti-
quette that two such nobly .born be-
trothed persons, to be allied for rea-
sons of high State policy, should visit
each other openly before the day of
marriage; but many letters and pres-
ents had at various times conte to
,Kernsberg, all bearing witness to the.
lover -like eagerness Of the Prince of
Courtland and of his desire to .pos-
sess so fair a bride , especially one
who was to bring hint so coveted a
possession as the hill provinces of
Kernsberg and IFohenstein.
Amongst other things he had for-
warded portraits of himself, drawn
with such skill as the artists of the
Baltic at that time possessed, of a
man in armour, with a countenance of
such wooden severity that it might
stand (as the Duchess openly declar-
ed) just as well for Werner, her chief
captain, or any other man of war in.
full panoply.
"But," said Joan within herself,
"what care I. for armour black or
white? Mine eyes have seen—and my
heart does not forget."
Then she smiled and for a while
forgot the coming inevitable disap-
pointment of the Princess Margaret,
which troubled her much at other
times. •
The winter was unusually long and
fierce in the mountains of Kernsberg
that year, and even along the Baltic
shores the ice packed thicker and the
snow lay longer by a full month than
usual.
It was the end of May, and the full
bursting glory of a northern spring,
when at last the bridal cavalcade
wound down from the towers of the
Castle of Kernsberg. 'tour hundred
riders there were, every man arrayed
like a prince in the colours of Hohen-
stein—four fairest maids to he
bridesmaids to their Duchess, and as
many matrons of rank and years to
bring their mistress with dignity and
discretion to her new home. But the
people and the rough soldiers openly
mourned for Joan of the Sword Hand.
"'Che Princess of Courtland .will not
be the same thing!" they said.
And they were right, for since the
last time- she rode out Joan had
thought many thoughts Could it he
that she was indeed that reckless maid
who once had vowed that she would
go and look once at the man her
father had bidden her, marry, and
then, if she did not like him, would
carry him off and clap him into a dun-
geon till he had paid a swinging ran-
;mn? But the knight of the white
plume, and the intenview she 'had had.
with e certain Prince in the summer'
palace of Courtland, had changed all
that.
Now she would be sober, grave—a'
,fit mate for such a .matt. 'Almost site.
blushed to' recall her madcap feats of
only a year ago.
As they approached the city, and
each night brought them closer to the
great day, Joanrode more by herself,
or talked with the young Dane, Maur-
ice von Lynar, of the Princess Mar-
garet=without, however, telling him
aught of the rose garden or the 'ex-
position's •of foreign customs which
had preceded the duel with the Wasp:.
The heart of the Duchess beat yet
faster when at :last the day of their
entry arrived. As they rode toward
the gate of Courtland they were a -
were 'of a splendid cavalcade which
came out to receive them in the name
of the Prince, end to conduct them
with honour to the palace prepared
for thetp.
In the centre of e brilliant company
rode the "Princess Margaret, in a
well -fitting robe of pale blue broid-
ered with •crimson, while behind and
about herwash
-sue a
a]'ax of .the
g Y
fashion and beauty of a court, that
had not Joan remembered and
thought on the summer 'parlour and
the man who was waiting for .her in
the city, she had almost, bidden her
four hundred riders wheel to the 'right
about, and gallop straight back to
Kernsberg and the heights of rustic
H'olhen ste i u,
At sight of the Duchess's party the
Princess alighted from off her steed
with the help of a cavalier, At the
same moment Joan of the Sword
(Hand leaped down .of' her awn accord
and came forward to meet .her, new
si dter,
The two women kissed, and then,
.helcl each other at amt's length for
the -luxury of a long look. •
'The' face of the Princess showed a
trace of emotion. She appeared to be
struggling with some recollection she
was u?rableto locate with precision.
I hope you will be very happy
with my brother," she faltered; then
after a moment she added, "Have you'.
not perchance a brother of yotir
own?'
IBut before Joan could reply the re-
presentative of the Prince had come
forward to conduct the brute -elect to
her rooms, and the Princess gave
place to him.
IBut all the same she kept her eyes.
keenly about her,, and presently they.
rested with a sudden brightness upon
the young Dane, Maurice von Lynar,
at the head of .his troop of horse. He
Was near enough for her to sec his
face, and it was with a .curious sense
of strangeness that she saw his eyes
fixed upon herself.
"He is different—he is changed,"
she said to !herself; "but hots -wait
till we get to the palace, and I shall
soon find out!"
And inimediaitely she caused it to
be intimated that all the captains of
troops and the superior officers• of
the escort of the Duchess Joan were
to beentertained at the palace of the
Princess Margaret.
So that at the moment when Joan'
was taking a first survey of her cham-
bers, which occupied one entire wing
of the palace of the Princes of Court-
land, Margaret the impetuous had al-
ready conimanded the presence of the
Count von Loen, one of the com-
manders of the bridal escort.
The young officer entrusted with
the message returned almost immed-
iately, to find his mistress impatient-
ly pacing ep and clown.
"Well?" she said, halting at the up-
per end of the reception -room and
looking at him.
"Your Highness," he said, "there is
no Cot von Leon among the of-
ficers of Kernsberg!"
Margaret of Courtland stamped her
foot.
"I expected as much," she said.
"He shall pay for this. Why, man, 1
saw him with my own eyes an hour
ago -a young man, slender, sits erect
in his saddle, of a dark allure, and
with eyes like those of an eagle."
A flush came over the youth's face.
";Does he look like the 'brother of
the Duchess Joan?" he said.
"That is the man ---Count von Leon
or no. 'That is the man, I tell you.
Bring him immediately to me,"
"Methinks he will come readily
enough. He started forward as if to
follow me when first I told my mes-
sage. But when I mentioned the name
of the Count von Loen he stood aside
in manifest disappointment,"
"At all events, bring him, instent-
ly1" commanded the Princess.
The officer bowed low and retired.
The Princess Margaret smiled to
herself.
"It is some more of their precious
'State secrets, she said. 'We11 — ;
love secrets, and I Can keep theft:
toe but only my own . or those the'
are told to ire. And I will make my
gentleman pay for playing off "his
Counts von Loen on incl".
Presently she heard! heavy foot-
steps approaching the door.
"Conte .ill—come in" straightway,"
she said in a loud, clear voice; "I
have a word to speak with you, Sir
Count—who yet deny that you are a
count, And, prithee, to how many
silly girls have you taught the foreign
fashions of linked arms, and all that
most pleasant ceremony of leave-tak-'
ing in Keresher,q and Piasscnburg?"
Then the Sparhawk had his long -
desired view in full daylight of the
woman Will OS 'Pips, touched once un-
der cloud of night, hail dominated liis
fancy and enslaved ' his will all the
weary months of the winter.
Also before him, though he knew
it not, a somew'h'at difficult and cont
plica''ted explanation,
CHAPTER XIII.
The Sparhawk in the Toils
The Princess Margaret was st nd-
ng by the window as the 'young man
entered. Her golden curls flashed in
the late sunshine, which made a kind
of haze of light about fuer head as she
turned ,the resentful brilliance 'of her
eyes upon Maurice von Lynar,
"Is it a safe thing, think you, Sir
Count, to jest with a princess in her
own laud and then come back to flout
her for ft?"
Maurice understood her to refer to
the kiss given and returned in the
darkness of the night. He knew not
&f how many 'otherindiscretions lie
was now to bear the brunt, or lie had
turned on the -spot `and fled once more
across the riyer, • •
"My lady," he . said, "if I offended
you once, it was notdone intentional-
ly, but by mistake."
'Ty mistake, sir! Have a care. I
may have been indiscreet, but I am
not imbecile,"
"The darkness of the night="
faltered' von Lynar, "let that lie my
e,ecuse," '
"Pshawl" flashed the Princess, sud-
denly firing up; "do you not see,
man, that youcannot lie yourself oat
of this? And, indeed, What need? If
I were a secretary of embassy, and .a
princess distinguished me with her
slightest favour, methinks when nette
I carte I would not meanly deny her
acquaintance!"
Von Lynar was distressed, and for-
tunately for himself his distress show-
ed is his face.
"Princess," he said, standing humb-
ly before her, "I did wrong. But con-
sider the sudden temptation, the dark-
ness of the night—"
"The darkness of the night," she
said, stamping her foot, and in an in-
stinctively mocking tone; "you are
indeed well inspired. You remind me
of what I ventured that you should
be free. The d'arkncss of the night,
indeed! I suppose that is all that
sticks in your memory, because you
gained something tangible by it. You
have forgotten the walk through the
corridors of the Palace, all you taught
me in the rose garden, and—and—
how apt a pupil you said I was. Pray
good Master ,Forgetfulness, who hath
forgotten all these things, forgotten
even his own name, tell me what you
did in Courtland eight months ago?"
`.'I came—I came,"
'Sp'erhaw*k, fearful of yet furtherfaltered con-
tnitting himself, "I came to find and
save my dear mistress."
"Your—dear—mistress?" The Prin-
cess spoke sflowly, and the blue eyes
hardened till they overtopped and
beat down the bold black ones of
Maurice von Lynar; "and you dare t0
tell me this—tne, to whom you swore
that you had never loved woman hi
the world before, never spoken to
them word of wooing or compliment!
Out of my sight, fellow! The Prince,
my brother, shall deal with you."
Then all suddenly her pride utterly
gave way. The disappointment was
too keen. She sank down an a silk -
covered ottoman by the window side,
so'bbieg.
"Oh, that .1 could kill you now,
with my hands—so," she said hi little
furious jerks, gripping at the pillow;
"I hate you, thus to put a shame upon
me—me, • Margaret of Courtland,
Could it.have been for such a thing
as you that I sent away the Prince of
'Muscovy—yes, and many others—
because I could not forget you? And
after all—]"
'Now:Maurice von Lynar was not'
quick in discernment where woman
was concerned, but on this occasion
he recognized that he was blindly
playing the hand of another—a hand,
moreover, of which he could not hope
to see the cards. He did the only
thing which' coultd have saved him
with the Princess. He came near and
sank on one knee before her,
"Madam," be said humbly and in
a moving voice, "I beseech you not
to be angry—not to condemn me' un
heard. L, the sense of being in love,
I never loved any but yourself, 1
would rather clie than put the least
slight upon one so surpassingly fair,
whose memory has never departed
from ,,
t c sleeping th br
waking, whose
aSe
image, dimly seen, has never for a
moment been erased from, my heart's
tablets."
The Princess paused and lifted her
eyes till they dwelt searchingly upon
him„ His obvious sincerity toucherl
her willing heart.
'But you said just now that you
came to Courtland to see 'your, dear
mistress ?'
The young man put his !rand to
his heat!. '
"You must bear with me" he said,
"if perchance for a little my words
are wild• 1 had, indeed, no right Id
speak of you as my dear mistress,
' "Oh, it was of me that you spoke,"
said the Princess, smiling a little; "1
begin• to understand"
'`Of what other could I speak?"
said the shameless Von Lynar, who
now 'began to feel' his way a little
clearer. "I have indeed been ,very
ill, and when I arts in straits my hescl
is still unsettled. Oftentimes I forget
my very name, :so sharp a pang strik-
ing through" 'my forehead 'tit t..I date
and stare and forget all else. It
springs from a secret wound that 'a't
the time I'kne'w nothing of."
•
"Yes yes. I renteni'ber. In the
duel with the Wasp—in the ye'w-tree,
walk it 'happened.'' Tclr rte, is it
dangerous ? Did it well-nigh cost
you your life?"
'Th'e yoiiltii modestly hong doyen
his head.
This sudden spate of'falseho'od had
come upon hien, as it were, froth the
outside "I1 the truth will not help
m "
e he
inn lered "'why, I can lie
t �
with any man. Else wherefore was
I born a Dane ? But, by my , faith',:
my mistress must'.leacve dotesome
rare tall lying on her own account,
and n'o'w II an, reaping that which
she hath sown,"'
As' he kneeled thus the Princess
bent over" him With a quizzical ex-
pression on her face„
"You are sure that you speak the
truth now? Your wound is not again'
causing you to dote?"
"Nay," said the Sparhawk;
deed, 'tis 'almost healed.",
"Where was the wound?" ` queried
the Princess anxiously.
"There were two," answered Von
Lynar diplomatically; "one ill my
shoulder at the base of neck, and the
other, more dangerous because in-
ternal, on the head itself,"
"Let me Bee."
,S'lie came and stood above him as
he put his hand to the collar of his
doublet, and, un'fas'tening a tie, he
slipped it dawn a little and show'e'd
her at the spring of his neck Werner
von Orseln's thrust.
"And the other," she said, cover-
ing it up with a little shudder, "that
on the head, where is it?"
The youth blushed, but answered
valiantly enough.
"It never was an open wound, and
so is a little difficult to find. Here,
where my hand is, above my brow."
"Hold up your head," said the
Princess. "On which side was it? On
the right? Strange, I cannot find it.
You are too far beneath, rte. The light
falls not aright. Ah, that is better!"
She kneeled down in front of 1aim.
and examined each side of his head
with interest, making as she did so,
many little exclamations of pity and
remorse. ,
"I think it trust be 'nearer the
brow," she said at last; "hold up your
head -look at me," '
Von Lynar 'looked at the Princess.
Their position was one as charming
as it was d'an'gerous. They were
kneeling opposite to one another,
their faces, drawn together by the
interest of the surgical examination,
had :approached very close. The dark
eyes looked squarely into the blue,
With stuff so inlflamma'ble, fire and
tow hi such immediate conjunction,
who knows what conflagration .might
have ensued had Voir Lynar's eyes
continnedi thus to dwell on those of
the Princess? ,
(To 'Be Continued.)
Blue Holidays.
Sortie never missed home so much
as on a h'o'liday. When everyone else
was Happy, a peculiar loneliness de-
scended upon her. Then a friend told
her what .comfort she got front talk-
ing to her family over Long Distance.
Florrie tried it, 'and discovered that
it :wee a real "blues" cure. !She no
longer dreads holidays.
Let. us have the naives of your•v:sitors
D, H. McInnes
CGhiropractor
Of Wingham, will be at the
Commercial Hotel, Seaforth
Monday, Wednesday and
Friday Afternoons
Diseases of all kinds success-
fully treated
Electricity used.
THURSDAY, JULY 2, 1931.
PRO'FESSI,ONIA)L CARD
Medical
'DiR, fL HUGH RO'SIS,. Physician' -'
and Surgeon. Late of London Hos-,
pita],' London, England. Special
attention to diseases of the eye, ear,.,
nose and throat. Office and resi-
dence behind Dominion Bank, Office,
Phone ' No. 5; Residence Phone 104.
"'DR. F. J. BIUIRROIWIS, 'Seaforth.
Office and residence, Goderich street,_
east of the United . Church. Coroner
for the County of Huron. Telephone-
N'o, 46. •
DIR. C. MI i01 AY.—C. Mackay,
honor
honor graduate of Trinity University
and gold nredallist of Trinity Medical
College; member of the College of
Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.,
DIR. P. 5, R. FIOIRiSITER- sEye, Ear
Nose and Throat. Graduate in Medi
cine,.1/diversity of Toronto 1897.
Late Assistant. New York Ophthal-
mic and ' Aural Institute, Moorefield's
Eye, and Golden Square throat hospi-.
tale, London, Eng'l'and. At Comm-
ercial Hotel, Seaforth, 3rd' Monday in.
each month, from 11 aim. to 3 p.m.
DR. W. C. SIP1TOLAIT.—Graduate of
Faculty of 'Medicine, University of
Western Ontario, London. Member
of College of Physicians and Sur-
geons of Ontario. Office in rear of
Aberhart's drug store, Seaforth..
Phone 90. flours 1.30-4 p.m., 7.30'
-9 p.m. Other hours by app'ointment.
Dental
DR. J. A. ieDUN'N, Successor to
Dr. R. R. Ross, graduate of North-.
western University, Chicago, Ill. Li-
centiate Royal College of Dental Sur-
geons, Toronto. Office over Sills'
hardware, Main St., Seaforth, Phone
151.
DR. F. J. SIECHIELY, graduate
Royal College of Dental Surgeons,
Toronto. Office over W. R. Smith's.
grocery, Main St., Seaforth. Phones,.
office 185W, residence 185J.
Auctioneer.
GEOIRGIE ELIIIIOTT, Licensed
Auctioneer for the County of Huron.
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